1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a baby carriage folding mechanism for a baby carriage foldable in three and, more particularly, to a baby carriage folding mechanism mounted on the handle of a folding baby carriage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various folding baby carriages for carrying a baby when taking the baby outdoors for walking or shopping have been proposed. When necessary, the folding baby carriages are folded for easy storage and carrying.
When folding the folding baby carriage in a compact package, the user holding the opposite ends of a handle or armrests needs to fold the baby carriage or the user holding a middle part of the handle needs to tilt the baby carriage so that one side of the baby carriage is folded onto the other side of the same by gravity, after folding a seat flat.
Accordingly, the user needs to change the position of the hands on the handle when folding the baby carriage by hand, and the user needs to use both hands for folding the baby carriage. Therefore, it is difficult for the user holding a baby in the user""s arms to fold the baby carriage. When applying gravity to fold the baby carriage, the baby carriage needs an increased number of joints and the like to reduce resistance against the movement of parts when folding the baby carriage. Those joints reduce the rigidity of the body of the baby carriage and make it difficult to transmit the sensation of operations and locking of parts to the user.
According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a baby carriage folding mechanism for a baby carriage foldable in three includes a casing and right and left pipes connected to opposite ends of the casing by hinged joints, respectively. The pipes compose a handle for the baby carriage, wherein each of the hinged joints has an inner member on the side of the casing and an outer member capable of turning relative to the inner member on the side of the pipe. Actuating means for turning the outer members relative to the corresponding inner members are disposed between the casing and the outer members. The baby carriage can be folded or developed by turning the outer members relative to the corresponding inner members.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the casing is provided on an inner surface thereof with guide grooves inclined to the longitudinal axis of the casing and substantially symmetrical with respect to the center of the casing. The actuating means comprises actuating members, each corresponding to the hinged joint, and sliding in the casing parallel to the longitudinal axis of the casing. Each of the actuating members has a forward end part pivotally joined to the outer member of the hinged joint at an eccentric position on the outer member, and a base end part provided with a projection in engagement with the guide groove of the casing. And each of the actuating members is moved forward and backward by turning the casing about its longitudinal axis to turn the outer member of the corresponding hinge.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, each of the guide grooves has curvilinear circumferentially extending portions formed at the starting and the terminating ends thereof.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in an alternative arrangement the guide grooves are formed with inclinations that are different from each other.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to the present invention, in a further alternative arrangement each of the guide grooves has a section on which a large load is loaded, and the inclination of the section with respect to circumferential direction of the casing is small.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, an operating member is placed on the casing for forward and backward movement. The operating member is provided with substantially symmetrical guide grooves inclined relative to a direction in which the operating member is moved. The actuating means comprises actuating members provided for axial sliding movement in the casing, each with actuating member corresponding to the corresponding hinged joint. Each of the actuating members has a forward end part pivotally joined to the outer member of the hinged joint at an eccentric position on the outer member, and a base end part provided with a projection in engagement with the guide groove of the operating member, so that the actuating members are moved forward and backward by moving the operating member forward and backward to turn the outer members of the hinged joints.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, an operating member and a pulley to be turned by the operating member are provided on the casing. The actuating means comprises actuating members provided for axial sliding movement in the casing, with each actuating member corresponding to a hinged joint. Each of the actuating members has a forward end part joined pivotally to the outer member of the hinged joint at an eccentric position on the outer member, and a base end part. One of the base end part of the actuating member and the pulley is provided with a slot, and the other is provided with a projection that is engaged with the slot.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, an operating member and a pulley to be turned by the operating member are provided on the casing. The actuating means comprises an actuating member provided for axial sliding movement in the casing, wherein the actuating member has opposite ends pivotally joined to the outer members of the hinged joints at eccentric positions on the outer members, respectively. One of a middle part of the actuating member and the pulley is provided with a slot, and the other is provided with a projection that is engaged with the slot.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, the actuating means comprises actuating members provided for axial sliding movement in the casing, with each actuating member corresponding to the hinged joint. Each of the actuating members has a forward end part pivotally joined to the outer member of the hinged joint at an eccentric position on the outer member, and a base end part having a thread or a rack. And a helical gear is interposed between the base end parts of the actuating members are provided with the thread or a pinion.
In the baby carriage folding mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, the actuating means comprises actuating members provided for axial sliding movement in the casing, with each actuating member corresponding to the hinged joint. The actuating members are connected to eccentric parts of the outer members of the hinged joints through springs, respectively, and one end of a wire is connected to each actuating member while the other end of the wire is connected to a rear end of an armrest attached to each pipe forming the handle.
The baby carriage folding mechanism according to the present invention further comprises an unlocking mechanism placed in the casing, for unlocking locking members that lock the baby carriage in a developed state.